Sewing needle



Jan. 30, 1951 o. J. RAINVILLE SEWING NEEDLE Filed June 10, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR.

Omar (A Fax Jan. 30, 1951 o. J. RAINVILLE SEWING NEEDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1948 INVENTOR. Omer- Ecz in v/'//s 6/ f A fforngy ?atented Jan. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE 2,539,859

NEEDLE Omen J. Rainville, Attleboro, Mass.

Application June 10, 1948,; SerialNo'. 325162 being so arranged as to be integral with the pointed end and presenting no obstruction to the point of the needle passing through the cloth being sewn; the provision of a sewing needle of the class described which is stronger, for its overall diameter, than previously known needles of like class; the provision of a needle of the class described in which the construction is readily adaptable to different sizes of needles in a simple and economical manner; and the provision of a needle of the class described in which a simple and yet novel means is provided to maintain the eye of the needle automatically closed during sewing operations, so that the sewing thread cannot escape therefrom. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

, The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the accompanying drawings, and the scope of the application of which will be. indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are illustrated several views of the invention showing details of construction:

Figure 1 shows a side view of a needle blank of the present invention, after several preliminary operations have been done upon it.

. Figure 2 is a side view similar to Figure 1, but after a grinding operation on the blank.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the blank of Figure 2 showing certain details of its shape.

Figure 4 is an opposite side view of the blanks of Figures 2 and 3, but with the resilient arm welded thereon, with the welded area being shown crosshatched.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the semifinished blank of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side view of a finished needle after the pointing of the needle has been done.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary plan view of the needle of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary opposite side view, in part cross sectioned and crosshatched, of the needle of Figure 6, to show certain details of 9 Claims. (01.1112-224) the joint between the resilient arm and needle.

Figures 9 and-10 are cross-sectional views, taken along lines 99 and ill-40, respectively,

the

of Figure 4.

0f the sewing machine type in various stages of its manufacture, at I is generally indicated a needle blank of the present invention and comprisinga cylindrical shank 2 and an enlarged body portion or head 3, with a transverse eye 4' pierced in shank 2, and thread-clearance grooves-Sand 6 cut in-the sides of shank 2. It will be noted that 'the center of eye l is located somewhat sideways'ofthe centerof shank 2 for the purpose of providing as strong a shank as possible, and likewise the thread-clearance grooves 5 and 6 are-to same side of the center of the shank. An indication of the amount of side displacement may be obtained from the proportions I use in a needle having a shank diameter of .040 inch. In the latter'case, with the width of the thread-clearance groove being .014 inch, the displacement sideways is .004 inch. This leaves a maximum thickness of shank on one side 1 of the groove of .009inch, and onthe other side '8 of .017 inch. The eye of'the needle follows this same displacement sideways.

The full effect of this side displacement is realized uponeXamina-tion of Figure 2 which shows the next step in the preparation of the needle. The thinner side F of the shank, is ground ofi, as shown inFigures 2 and 3, to open a side of the eye and to'leave the upstanding ribs 9 and-I0. Wherreye 4 is so opened, the inward endsof ribs 9 and i0 constitute the front and back ends M-and" i9, respectively, of .eye 4, with the original shank 2 forming one side wall, and the resilient arm I! the other sidewall of eye 4. Inprior needles, with the .eye and threadclearance grooves being centrally located, when the one side is ground off, so much metal of the shankis removed as to leave the shank weaker than is necessary. By' my side-displacement, less metal need be removed to open up the side of the eye, and the needle is appreciably stronger to resist bending, etc.

It willbe noted from Figure 3 that threadclearance groove 5 extends approximately'the whole length of shank '2, whereas groove '6 ex- .this invention should be described.

tends only part way up said shank. 'The long groove 5 is for the thread coming from the thread spool on the top of the sewing machine, and groove 6 is for the thread coming from the machine shuttle.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, there is shown at l I a resilient spring arm welded at one end thereof to what will later be part of the pointed end portion of the needle. It is important that the welding take place in such fashion that the weld nugget, indicated by the crosshatching l2 of Figure 4 extend from the very end l3 of the needle to nearly the front edge M of eye 4. Also, the nugget in width should'extend approximately the full width of wafer II.

In so making the weld, one of the important features of the invention is realized, as will be seen by referring to Figures 7 and 8. When the end portion of the needle is tapered for pointing, as shown generally at I 5, it will be observed that the taper extends through the weld nugget [2,

as indicated at I6 in Figure 8, and by the crosshatched border line I! in Figure 7. Since the resilient arm has been welded in such fashion as to form an autogenous joint, the metal of the tapered edge iii of the resilient arm proper forms an integral part of the metal of the shank 2,

.and thus no sliver can be raised or become exposed during the use of the needle.

Resiient arm II, as shown in the perspective view of Figure 11 is preferably made of spring metal, and preferably has a cross-sectional shape forming a segment of a circle. The height of .the segment may preferably be equal to the thickness of the material ground off the shank ;of the needle to expose ribs 9 and i0 and open up eye 4, and the radius of curvature of the convex surface of the resilient arm should preferably equal the radius of shank Z. In this way, when resilient arm H is welded in place, as aforesaid, it fills out and completes the shank 2 to its original roundness. It is obvious, however, that if desired, resilient arm II can have a rectangular cross-section, and can be any suitable .thickness to give the desired spring quality. The .end I8 of resilient arm H is rounded slightly as shown in Figure 4, in order to facilitate the introduction of a sewing thread into the passageway between wafer II and rib I0.

At this point, another important feature of In prior needles, some difficulty has been experienced in having the resilient arm fail to close the back end l9 of eye 4. I overcome this by providing, during the aforesaid grinding operation, that rib 9 is made slightly less in height than the rib III. For example, in the cited example of a needle .040 inch in diameter, I remove approximately .003 inch more metal in grinding rib 9 than I do in grinding rib I0. Then, when the resilient arm II is welded in place it has an opportunity to bear firmly against the edge 20 of the back end 19 of eye 4 and thus close the eye securely.

A fiat face 21 may be out, if desired, on one side of head 3, to provide a bearing surface for the needle-holding screw of the sewing machine to bear against. For most common use, I prefer to place flat 2| on .head 3 in such relation to resilient arm II that when the neede is inserted in the sewing machine for use, the arm II is toward the front of the machine.

To thread the needle, all that is necessary is to start the thread 22 (see Figure 6) at turned up end l8, and pull it toward eye 4 between arm II and rib l0 until the thread slips into place in eye 4. Arm II will then spring back toward rib Ill until it rests firmly against edge 20 of eye 4, as described above, to hold the thread in the eye.

Throughout the drawings, relative thicknesses and lengths have in some instances been exaggerated in order to give clarity to the constructional details.

Since many departures may be made from the embodiments shown herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter set forth herein or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be considered as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a sewing needle, a needle shank having a cut-away portion extending longitudinally of one side, a pair of longitudinally extending ribs rising frrom the cut-away portion and terminating in spaced relation to the pointed end of the needle to provide an eye, and a resilient arm overlying the cut-away portion and attached autogenously to the pointed end portion of the needle within the tapered zone thereof.

2. In a sewing needle, a needle shank having a cut-away portion ext nding longitudinally of one side, a pair of longitudinally extending ribs rising from the cut-away portion and terminating in spaced relation to the pointed end of the needle to provide an eye, and a resilient arm overlying the cut-away portion and attached autogenously to the pointed end portion of the needle, said ribs being spaced inwardly of the sides of the shank, the place of attachment lying within the tapered zone of the pointed end portion with the tapered wall of the pointed end portion including a portion of the autogenous attachment.

3. In a sewing needle, a needle shank having a cut-away portion extending longitudinally of one side, a pair of longitudinally extending ribs rising from the cut-away portion and terminating in spaced relation to the pointed end of the needle to provide an eye, and a rsilient arm overlying the cut-away portion and attached autogenously to the pointed end portion of the needle within the tapered portion thereof and with the tapered wall of the pointed end portion including a portion of the autogenous attachmnt, said arm and the sides of said shank forming, with said ribs, longitudinal grooves for the reception of sewing thread, said ribs being spaced midway the sides of the shank in one direction and said grooves being ofiset from the median line of the shank.

4. In a sewing needle, a needle shank having a cut-away portion extending longitudinally of one side, a pair of longitudinally extending ribs rising from the cut-away portion and terminating in spaced relation to the pointed end of the needle to provide an eye, and a resilient arm overlying the cut-away portion and lying in close proximity to the tops of said ribs, said resilient arm, the ribs, and the uncut portion of the shank forming longitudinally extending grooves for the reception of sewing thread, the side walls of the rib adjacent the point being of equal length, one side wall of the other rib being relatively short and the other side wall extending substantially the entire length of said shank to the head of the needle, said resilient arm being attached by spot welding to the pointed end portion of the needle, and tapered side of the pointed end portion passing through the spot welded region.

5. In a sewing needle, a needle shank having a cu -away portion extending longitudinally of one side, a pair of longitudinally extending ribs rising from the cut-away portion and terminating in spaced relation to the pointed end of the needle to provide an eye, and a resilient arm overlying th cut-away portion and lying in close proximity to the tops of said ribs, said resilient arm, the ribs, and the uncut portion of the shank forming longitudinally extending grooves for the reception of sewing thread, the side walls of the rib adjacent the point being of equal length, one side wall of the other rib being relatively short and the other side wall extending substantially the entire length of said shank to the head of the needle, said resilient arm being attached to the needle, within the region occupied by the tapered wall of the pointed end portion thereof, by spot welding whereby an autogenous joint is formed between the end of said resilient arm and the tapered wall of the pointed end portion of the needle, the tapered wall of said pointed end portion passing through the nugget formed by said spot welding.

6.'In a sewing needle, a. needle shank having a cut-away portion extending longitudinally of one side, a pair of longitudinally extending ribs rising from the cut-away portion and terminating in spaced relation to the pointed end of the needle to provide an eye, and a resilient arm overlying the cut-away portion and attached to the needle by a spot welded 'autogenous joint lying within the tapered wall of the pointedend portion of the needle, the tapered wall of said pointed end portion passing through the region of fusion of the said arm and said needle, thereby providing an outer wall for said pointed end portion having an unbroken surface.

'7. In a sewing needle, a needle shank having a cut-away portion extending longitudinally of one side, a pair of longitudinally extending ribs rising from the cut-away portion and terminating in spaced relation to the pointed end of the needle to provide an eye, a resilient arm overlying said cut-away portion and in engagement with said ribs to restore the needle partially to cylindrical formation in cross-section, said arm,

way the sides of said shank, said grooves and said eye being offset of the median line of said shank to make the uncut portion of the shank relatively thicker than the resilient arm, and said arm being attached to said needle, in the region occupied by the tapered wall of the pointed end portion, by spot welding, the tapered wall of said pointed end portion passing through the region wherein the arm and needle shank have become autogenously joined together.

8. In a sewing needle, a needle shank having a cut-away portion extending longitudinally of one side, a pair of longitudinally extending ribs rising from the cut-away portion and terminating in spaced relation to the pointed end of the needle to provide an eye, and a resilient arm overlying the cut-away portion and attached autogenously to the pointed end portion of the needle, the rib lying adjacent to said pointed end portion being of less height than the other rib, whereby, when said arm is attached to said shank, it is caused to press against the end of said other rib which forms the eye of the needle.

9. In a sewing needle, a needle shank having an outer end tapered to a point; an eye adjacent the outer end; a mounting hub at the other end of the shank; one side of the shank being cut away to provide a first long rib extending along the shank from the inner end of said eye to the hub, and a. second short rib extending along the shank from the outer end of said eye toward said point, and being in alignment with said first rib and of lesser height than said first rib; and a resilient arm overlying both of said ribs and being attached to said shank at its outer end by spot-welding within the tapered por tion of the pointed end of the needle, whereby the tapered wall of the pointed end includes a portion of the autogenous juncture thereby to form a smooth unbroken surface at the place of attachment.

OMER J. RAINVILLEL' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: I

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

